How to prevent diabetes: News

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Sunday, March 19, 2017

SGLT2 inhibitors show no significant risk of DKA, study reports

Adults with type 2 diabetes who take SGLT2 inhibitors are less likely to experience diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) than those on insulin treatment, a study suggests.

These findings existed for those with type 2 diabetes either prescribed SGLT2 inhibitors as a single treatment or in combination with another drug.

Scientists from the Steno Diabetes Center, Copenhagen, Denmark examined 415,670 people with type 2 diabetes during 1995-2014, all of whom were treated with medication, including insulin.

They sought to evaluate the rates of DKA within patients to assess if any association could be made between DKA, a dangerous short-term complication, and SGLT2 inhibitors.

SGLT2 inhibitors work by helping the kidneys to lower blood glucose levels, with excess blood glucose removed through urine.

During follow-up, 4,045 first events of DKA were identified, but this incidence went on to decrease by 5.6 per cent per year.

The risk of DKA was highest for people on insulin, followed by people who were on a combination of insulin and oral diabetes drugs.

Those who filled prescriptions for SGLT2 inhibitors had no registered events of DKA, while six events of DKA occurred in those who were treated with an SGLT2 combination treatment.

The researchers said: "This is the first study to estimate nationwide incidence of DKA in type 2 diabetes with 20 years of follow-up and three million person-years of observation combined with prescription data.

"Compared with canagliflozin trials, our DKA incidence rates in the SGLT2 inhibitor-treated groups are higher, but the rates presented here indicate what we are likely to face in clinical practice; out of 1,000 people classified as having type 2 diabetes, one will be hospitalised with DKA each year, a potentially life-threatening acute situation, especially in the older population, demanding hospital admission and intensive treatment.

"The excess risk associated with SGLT2 inhibitor treatment was, however, not significant and is hardly clinically relevant."

The study has been published online in Diabetes Care.

(Resoure:http://www.diabetes.co.uk/news/2017/mar/sglt2-inhibitors-show-no-significant-risk-of-dka,-study-reports-95210322.html)

Whole-body vibration technique could help combat type 2 diabetes

News

Robertmiken 8:58 PM 0

Whole-body vibration (WBV) could help prevent obesity and type 2 diabetes, according to research.

WBV is a technique that involves standing, sitting or lying on a vibrating platform which transmits energy through the body, making the muscles contract and relax repeatedly.

In this new study, Augusta University researchers used mice to investigate whether regular WBV would produce similar benefits to exercise.

The animals were split into three different groups, receiving 20 of WBV per day, 45 minutes of exercise, or no exercise at all. The mice were followed for 12 weeks and weighed every seven days.

The findings showed there were similar weight loss benefits in the WBV and exercise group. Other benefits included greater muscle mass and improved insulin sensitivity.

Dr Meghan McGee-Lawrence, who led the research, said: "Our study is the first to show that whole-body vibration may be just as effective as exercise at combating some of the negative consequences of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

"While WBV did not fully address the defects in bone mass of the obese mice in our study, it did increase global bone formation, suggesting longer-term treatments could hold promise for preventing bone loss as well."

It is thought the WBV technique could potentially help some people in the future who are unable to exercise regularly, such as those with diabetic neuropathy.

But McGee-Lawrence noted that WBV is not suitable for replacing exercise as it doesn’t provide the cardiovascular or respiratory benefits of physical activity.

She added: "Because our study was conducted in mice, this idea needs to be rigorously tested in humans to see if the results would be applicable to people."

The findings appear online in the Endocrinology journal.

(Resoure:http://www.diabetes.co.uk/news/2017/mar/whole-body-vibration-technique-could-help-combat-type-2-diabetes-95217303.html)

CGM surpasses flash monitoring for reducing hypo unawareness in type 1 diabetes

News

Robertmiken 8:57 PM 0

A new UK study has revealed that continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) can help people with type 1 diabetes spot hypoglycemia more easily and promptly than flash monitoring.

We know from previous research that CGMs can measurably increase the amount of time spent in and above glucose target range as well as reduce the time below that same range in type 1 diabetes.

Adults with type 1 diabetes who have diminished awareness of hypoglycemia, which represent roughly a quarter of this population, are considered to be at high-risk for severe hypoglycemia.

This new study, presented last week at the Diabetes UK Professional Conference, shows that they are the ones susceptible to benefit the most from using a CGM.

Researchers also suggest that when it comes to improving hypoglycemia unawareness, CGMs may be a better choice than simply using an intermittent flash glucose monitor.

Although, the study comparing those two fairly different types of glucose monitoring was perhaps more likely to reach this conclusion. It was sponsored by Dexcom, the manufacturer of the widely used G5 CGM device.

This is not to say that flash glucose monitoring isn't an efficient way of self-monitoring blood sugars. Data from more than 50,000 users in previous studies support that the FreeStyle Libre significantly improves blood sugar control in type 1 diabetes.

And, the results of this new study actually show that Abbott's Freestyle Libre, used here for comparison, improved HbA1c levels and the amount of time spent in the target glucose range as much as the G5 did.

But, when looking at the impact on hypoglycemia and hypoglycemia awareness specifically, the G5 takes the lead and the benefits for users go well and beyond what the Freestyle Libre can offer.

This was assessed by the Gold score of impaired hypoglycemia awareness, a method used for quantifying awareness of hypoglycemia.

The study involved 40 participants with long-standing type 1 diabetes and hypo-unawareness who had never used CGMs. Those assigned to CGM experienced a reduction in the Gold score, whereas the score didn't budge for Freestyle Libre users.

The use of real-time CGM over the Freestyle Libre also reportedly minimised people's fear of hypoglycemia and worries of consequences it has for their entourage.

(Resoure:http://www.diabetes.co.uk/news/2017/mar/cgm-surpasses-flash-monitoring-for-reducing-hypo-unawareness-in-type-1-diabetes-95224572.html)

3 Diabetes Games that will Educate Kids About Diabetes

News

Robertmiken 9:06 PM 0

We’ve talked before about how difficult it can be to explain

diabetes to your children and help them understand how to manage their disease. One strategy we didn’t go in depth about is turning your child’s diabetes care into a game to make it easier to live with and follow. In fact, the process of turning a less-than-fun routine or process into a game (or gamification, as it’s now being called) is revolutionizing the healthcare industry in a big way, and diabetes is no exception.

So why would anyone want to gamify diabetes, or any health condition for that matter? Well, besides making it much easier to explain to children and young adults, the process of gamification actually makes the condition easier to deal with for patients of all ages. Turning something routine and unpleasant into a fun game with challenges, achievements, and rewards can increase the likelihood of the person with diabetes sticking to their care regimen, and results in participants reporting a much higher quality of life and satisfaction with treatment.

Here are some of our favorite diabetes games to get your children to learn about diabetes and how to manage it better. And who knows, maybe you’ll even learn something!

mySugr Junior

Our absolute favorite diabetes app/game for children. We’ve already covered the adult version in a previous post about the best diabetes apps, but the kids’ version really deserves its own mention.

The app features a beautiful and whimsical “diabetes monster” that children tame by following good diabetes management practices. What this mostly means is a fun way for your child to record notes that include their blood sugar, their meals and carb intake, insulin doses, and other little notes about their condition (including an adorable mood selection interface that lets your little ones choose how they’re feeling that day). Entering notes gets encouragement from the diabetes monster, and you can go back and review previous entries.

If that were all the app did, it would still be a great way to help your children manage their diabetes. What really elevates it above the competition, though, is the parent link feature. The app actually comes in two parts – one for your child and one for you. Whenever your child makes a new note or entry, the information is sent over to your phone so you can keep an eye on how your little one is doing. It also has great features like the ability to take a photo of food and send it to the parental app to get help with estimating carb counts. Once you review your child’s information, you can then send back a note of your own.

Overall, mySugr Junior is probably the best game app for children learning how to manage their own diabetes. Between the great interface, the ease of use, and the parental reporting features, this a great choice both for parents and for children.

Carb Counting With Lenny

This series of games, put together by Medtronic and hosted by Lenny, the lion with Type 1 Diabetes, is focused around teaching children to accurately count the carbs that they are consuming. The games are broken down into four separate sections – Carb or No Carb?, Compare the Carbs!, Guess the Carb!, and Build A Meal!

The games are more educational and less about training children for day-to-day management like the mySugr app. Still, they do offer a great resource for teaching children about what a carb is, and what the likely carb values of many common foods are.

On top of the games, the website also has fun activities for children of all ages, and a great food carb reference guide built around the kinds of foods that children love to eat.

Monster Manor

This is one to watch, as it’s not released publicly yet. Like mySugr Junior, Monster Manor is a combination game and logging app for children with Type 1 diabetes. The premise is simple – children enter their blood glucose (and other) stats, and are rewarded with pinatas. These pinatas contain fun treats like “beanz” that let your kids grow and manage new monsters in their own manor, or gold that lets them buy pets and accessories for their monsters.

The app integrates with BlueLoop, the diabetes tracking and monitoring app, for an easy tracking interface. It also includes all of the parental notification options that mySugr Junior has. One really cool feature gives parents the option to send their children an extra-special pinata once per day that includes better items. This is a great way for parents to stay involved and encouraging in their children’s diabetes management.

Timesulin Blog

https://timesulin.com/3-diabetes-games-that-will-educate-kids-about-diabetes/

Aspirin no heart protection for diabetics

Tips

Robertmiken 5:39 PM 0

LONDON, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Doctors should not routinely give aspirin to people with diabetes to help guard against a heart attack or stroke, a British study found on Friday.

While it was effective for those who had already developed heart disease or suffered a stroke, regular aspirin offered no benefit for patients with diabetes and a common circulatory problem, researchers said.

"Although aspirin is cheap and universally available, practitioners and authors of guidelines need to heed the evidence that aspirin should be prescribed only in patients with established symptomatic cardiovascular disease," William Hiatt of the University of Colorado wrote in an editorial.

Hiatt was writing in the British Medical Journal, which published the findings.

The study led by Jill Belch and colleagues at the University of Dundee in Scotland included data on 1,276 men and women who had never had a heart attack or stroke but were at high risk because they had diabetes or peripheral arterial disease.

The researchers gave some people either aspirin or a placebo and others an antioxidant or placebo. They found that after eight years the number of heart attacks and strokes was about the same.

The researchers noted that aspirin remains effective for reducing risk among men and women who have already had a heart attack or stroke.

"We found no evidence to support the use of either aspirin or antioxidants in the primary prevention of cardiovascular events and mortality in people with diabetes," Belch and colleagues wrote.

"Aspirin should, however, still be given for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in people with diabetes."

While aspirin can cause stomach bleeding, the benefits still outweigh the risks for certain people, researchers said.

Managing diabetes during a sick day

Tips

Robertmiken 7:14 PM 0




The flu or a common cold can sneak up when you least expect it. The best defense for someone with diabetes, other than mom's homemade chicken noodle soup, is a ready-made sick day plan. A solid sick day plan includes several key items. And when you have it when you need it, you'll be less stressed and will heal more quickly. Stay Hydrated and Nourished Eating and drinking can sometimes be difficult, especially with the flu, but it's important to keep to your standard meal plans if at all possible. Some ideal foods to have on hand include broth-based soups, sugar-free gelatin, juice, crackers, and applesauce. Also, pushing fluids can help your body heal more quickly. Monitor Your Sugar Levels Check blood sugar levels frequently during a sick day. Many sicknesses come with additional stress that can wreak havoc on your blood sugar numbers, but staying on top of it with additional, frequent testing is the best option. Document your readings and look for patterns and ways to improve. Watch Your Meds Not only should you be watching your diabetes medication, but you should also monitor any cold or flu medication you take. Many medications contain small amounts of sugar. Some medicines, like large doses of aspirin, can lower blood sugar levels, so read labels carefully before you buy. Know Your Numbers Keep your health care providers' phone numbers in a handy place, and know when to call them. If you have been sick for 2 days without getting better, if you have a persistent fever, or if you have ketones, it's definitely time to call. The Last Resort If you must go to the emergency room or see another doctor during an illness, remember to have any insurance information, a list of all meds you take, and diabetes identification. Partner with your endocrinologist and nutritionist to finalize your sick day plan. The best thing you can do is plan ahead to avoid any emergencies. Even though it's important to have on hand, hopefully you won't need it for quite a while!